2002-09-26Westbury, NY. Nathan's Doesn't Cut the Mustard At Home Depot.

Home Depot, the company you associate with hammers, not hot dogs, and measuring tapes, not mustard, has abruptly terminated eight license agreements it had with Nathan's Famous, Inc., the restaurant chain noted for its hot dogs. According to the Reuters news service, Nathan's sold $4 million worth of hot dogs last year at the 8 Home Depot stores, or nearly 15% of total restaurant sales. Nathan's received a written notice from Home Depot recently asking them to hold the mustard. So the hot dog vendor will pull its buns out of the Home Depot stores by mid February, and wants Home Depot to pay them a termination fee. Neither Home Depot nor Nathan's are explaining why the hot dog deal didn't cut the mustard. Home Depot continues to do business with Dunkin Donuts, opening up donut stores in several of its Home Depot locations.

What you can do: I don't know about you, but the idea of going to Home Depot to eat makes me a little queasy. And the combo of a Dunkin Donuts coffee and a Nathan's hot dog doesn't sit well either. This unfortunate falling out shows one thing: when it comes to food, Home Depot has gone to the dogs. But now, even the dogs are gone.

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